Between the King and I
by DeviousAndi
Summary: This is the story between Andrea and The Goblin King. From the innocent finding of a dusty old book, Andrea's world is flipped upside down when she encounters a man name Jareth, otherwise known as the Goblin King. As the two get to know each other, they find that even belonging in opposite worlds, romance can blossom. Rated M for language, sexual content, and some darker scenes. 3
1. Moving In

Chapter one

My lower back was aching, the muscles straining to lift the heavy box off the ground. I grit my teeth, forcing myself to at least finish the kitchen. I lifted the box up to my stomach and slowly carried it towards the kitchen.

"Umm ma'am?" One of the movers heard my grunt as I rose off the ground. "You need any help with that?" He asked in a gruff voice.

I ignored his question and continued on to my new kitchen. Upon arriving, I set the box down on the counters, and reached around for the small pocket knife I carried in my back jeans pocket. I really wasn't trying to be rude, but I just couldn't stomach another conversation with these movers. They have been here since 8 this morning, and with four o'clock just minutes away, I felt like I was the only one doing the work. Didn't help that they just left around eleven thirty, claiming it was their lunch hour. That "hour" didn't end until around two this afternoon. I was left with all of my things scattered in boxes around my front yard. I just thank the Lord that the bedroom furniture was already taken upstairs.

I cut open the box and began pulling out assorted dishware. The assortment of colors really gave my new home some color. I moved to the little town of Haverstraw, New York about a week ago. I was offered a position as a historian at the University of New York, something that I have dreamed of doing since entering school. The University paid for my belongings to be shipped from my hometown in Texas all the way up here. As it took a week for all of my belongings to show up, I had that little amount of time to find a little house for rent, to set up for my new home for the next few years. Thankfully, my real estate agent was quick on her feet, and found me a little house right down the street from the historical section of town. Haverstraw was composed of little villages, and this one was the most populated, perfect for a newcomer like myself. It was a short walk to shops, restaurants, and a grocery st bore. As it didn't require me to be at NYU everyday, it was a pretty sweet gig. I even got ahold of a little car, a 1992 Lumina. It wasn't much. But it got me from point A to point B.

My new little home was built like a small cabin. It was painted all white, from the door to the frame to the window shutters. The inside was the same way. The only color was the dark wood panels of my floor. It was quite a contrast to see when I first stepped into the house. But as my real estate agent showed me around, I fell more and more in love with it. It had an open floor plan for the living room, dining room, and kitchen. The kitchen was small, but it was enough for just me. The cabinets had a glass paneling, showing off my bright and colorful dishes. I was lucky enough to have a dishwasher, gas burning stove, oven, and a fridge, all neatly compacted into one little space.

Upstairs, I had a one bedroom and one bath. There was a walk in closet, surprisingly, in the bedroom, and a little window seat, staring out to the street in front of my house. A clawfoot bathtub dominated my bathroom, completed with a little connected showerhead. Out of everything in my house, this was my favorite feature.

A mover sat down another box marked with "kitchen" on the side of it, and I thanked him. I cut open the tape across the top and found all of my coffee cups. I had a strong addiction to coffee. One of my favorite memories is opening a Keurig coffee maker a couple of Christmases ago. My little sister knew me so well. I dedicated one whole cabinet all to my coffee cups, right above the Keurig. I step back and admired my handiwork. I honestly felt like I was making good progress, especially it was just me.

"Ma'am?" the same gruff voice interrupted my admiring. I sighed internally, plastered a smile on my face, and turned around. The mover was holding my travel bags, that had my clothes in it from the hotel. Sitting next to him were a couple of smaller bags, that help my makeup and bathroom necessities. "Yes?" I answered politely.

"Would you like these to be brought upstairs?" He asked, struggling to hold on to the size of the big bag. I know I was only in the hotel for a week, but I like to have a little too much then not enough. My other clothes were packed away in boxes, which were probably still downstairs.

"Oh yes please, thank you. You can set the big bag and the boxes marked "Clothes" on my bed, and the little bags in my bathroom. Thank you so much," I said. He nodded, and with an obvious struggled look on his face, turned around and made his way to the stairs.

After a long while, six o'clock rolled around and the movers and I got most of my stuff in the appropriate rooms at least. I was able to sort my living room to my liking, got my kitchen organized, and got my clothes hung up in the closet. Once they left, I sat on my bedroom floor and built a shoe rack to slide into my closet. Growing up with three kids in the house, my family quickly learned the importance of a shoe rack. I always had an obsession with shoes, especially Converse sneakers. I got rid of several pairs before my big move, but even still, the Converse took a whole rack for themselves. As I lined my other shoes in a neat order, my stomach growled. I glanced down in surprise, but then thought to myself, "It has been hours since I ate last. Did I even have lunch?" I shook my head, and pushed myself off the ground. My real estate agent was kind enough to give me some takeout menus, which sounded perfect after a long day of unpacking. I shifted through the glossy sheets of paper before settling on pizza. I dialed the number to the pizza place and ordered a large supreme pizza, with a liter of Coke to drink. The girl on the other end told me it would be a thirty minute wait, so I said okay, thank you, and hung up.

I sat down on the edge of the bed, and glanced around the room. It was different the my old bedroom at my mom's house. My old room was stuffed with junk, ranging from boxes of old toys from my childhood to all of my homecoming mums from high school. I had a bookshelf next to the wall that had old VHS tapes of disney movies and worn books I loved to read. Here, everything was white, white, and a little more white. It signaled change, and change was a really scary thing.

To pass the time, I picked my phone up again and dialed my mom's cell number. I couple rings in, and I could hear my family's excitement come through the line. After answering the rush of probing questions from my siblings, their excitement eventually wore off and left me with my mother. She asked the usual questions, like how my day went, if I was done unpacking. My answers were probably a little typical sounding: "My day was… great. Slow, but got a lot of work done… Yeah, slow. The movers weren't cooperating well with me… I still need to arrange some stuff, but other than that, yeah, most stuff is unpacked…" As usual, the conversation steered towards her: "Wow, yeah that sounds awesome mom… Yeah, that sounds like a rough night at work… Yeah, I miss the kids too, the house is to quiet… Yeah, you guys will have to come visit me when school lets out for winter break. Maybe I'll have a white Christmas!... Okay mom, I'll call you guys later. Pizza should be here soon. I love you too mom… Love you Aaron, love you Alanna. Bye guys."

I hung up, and somehow, felt a little lonelier than before. I sat in quietness for a while, when the doorbell rang throughout the house. I sat up, walked down the stairs, and put on another one of those smiles, and opened the door. A tall gangly teenage boy stood infront of me, with the bag's loops on his arm. "Hi there," he said. I smiled back, and he dragged the pizza out of the bag. He handed me the warm box and a little plastic bag that had the Coke in it. "That'll be $15.50" he said.

I nodded. "Thanks, let me go set this on the table and grab the money." I step away from the doorway and walked over to my table. I set the pizza down and pulled out a $20.00 bill out from my purse. Walking back over to the front door, I handed the boy the bill and said, "Here ya go, keep the change."

"Ah, thanks lady. You are the first one to tip me tonight. Guess people forget, hahaha." he laughed. I shrugged and said, "Hey, people forget things. Anyways, thanks again. Have a good night." I moved to closed the door, but the boy put his hand on the door, preventing it from shutting. "Hey random question, but are you new here?" He asked.

I scrunched my eyebrows at him and said, "Look kid, act any creepier, and you won't get any tips next time. And if it means that much to you, yes I am. Please leave now." I pushed harder against the door, and I guess I took him off guard. I was able to slam the door shut and locked the deadbolt. "What a creepy kid!" I thought. I stared through the keyhole for a couple of moments, making sure the kid got back in the car and left. When he did, I step back and took a couple of deep breathes. When I wasn't freaked out anymore, I head over to the table and opened the box. The warm aroma washed over the little dining room, and suddenly, I was ravenous. I took a plate and a mug out of the cabinet, and dug in. I pulled out my laptop from my bags and propped it open. I had set up the internet earlier in the day, and I typed my password into the box. I pulled Netflix up and picked one of my favorite shows, Family Guy. The idiotic humor soon set me in a more comfortable mood, and when I was able to stuff as much pizza into me as possible, I set the box and what was left of the Coke into my very empty fridge.

I took my laptop upstairs with me and set it on the nightstand table next to my bed. I walked over to my dresser and pulled out some sweats and sleep shirt and changed into the comfier clothes. I pulled back my down comforter and snuggled into bed. My first day here in Haverstraw had been a somewhat success. Now, if only I could ease my mind into a slumber, it would end on a high note..


	2. First Day in Haverstraw

Chapter two

 _Tick, tick, tick, tick!_

 _"What on Earth is that noise?"_ I wondered sleepily. I rolled over to the other side of my bed, and a bright light shone through the cracks of my curtains. I winced, and buried my face deeper in my pillow. Morning sunlight and I were not on the best of terms.

 _TICK, TICK, TICK, TICK!_

 _"For the love of God..."_ I mumbled. I slowly and clusimly untangled myself out of my comforter and stretched, making an unearthly sound. Leaning up slowly, I yawned and sighed. I turned my head to my cell phone charging, and saw that it was only seven in the morning. I grunted, and threw my legs over the side of the bed. Reaching for my slippers, I still heard the extremely annoying sound continue on. Standing up, I walked to the curtains and pushed them back slowly, allowing more light in. As mentioned before, my bedroom window looked out to my street. Slightly blocking the view was a tree, which towered over my house. A little bird stood on the branch equivalent to my window, and it furiously pecked at the bark. I scoffed at the sight. I don't recall ever actually seeing a woodpecker, but I could always hear one back in Texas. Looks like this little fellow was looking to move in right with me.

 _"Looks like I'll need to buy a scare crow,"_ I thought in amusement. I pulled the curtains back, and turned around. I was already to awake to lay back down. I grabbed my robe handing off the door of my closet and walked down the stairs and into my kitchen. I had a few provisions leftover from my hotel. Mostly granola bars and a couple of K-Cups for my Keurig. I opened the cabinet and selected a little cup shaped into a cow. My sister bought it for me as a present, along with the Keurig. It amused her, which she thought it would amuse me as well. After placing the cup down, I popped a little cup that said "French Vanilla" on the cover into the machine and pressed the medium setting. After warming up, the machine spewed out the wonderful sound of coffee and my little kitchen felt much more alive. I took the cup out when it was done dispensing my coffee and grabbed a granola bar and sat down at my dining room table. I glanced around at the empty walls, and decided that I should go into town and buy some groceries to stock up my kitchen, and maybe a few other things as well. This little house needed some life into it. Some pretty flowers maybe.

My real estate agent told me it once belonged to a woman by the name of Sarah Williams. She lived here alone, and everybody in the town knew her as the biggest bookworm. But after her brother, a guy named Toby, was hurt in a car accident, Sarah moved in with his family to help take care of the household chores and such. Sarah had been out of the house for about a year, which amazed my agent of how long it had been on the market.

I sipped my coffee slowly, savoring the smooth flavor. If one thing was to describe me, it would be that I really was addicted to coffee. It was worst when I was a teenager. I would make daily trips to Starbucks, blowing all my money that I had and then having to beg for more from my mother. On the day of my highschool graduation, my father came to visit to see me. His present to me was my very first Keurig, and I have to say, it was probably the best present that I could ask for.

Oh, and yes, if you are curious, my parents are divorced. Typical divorce story, mom and dad loved each other, but always had problems and fighting. It got worst with me I believe. I was such a finicial burden. I remember the struggles we had. I remembered cars getting repossessed and how my parents ate ramen noodles everynight, just to keep me in school and daycare. At the time, I didn't understand what was going on, but I saw just about everything. One day, my mother told me that her and I were leaving, and we started to pack my bags. My father came home from work and I remember the fight they had. It ended with him in tears and sitting on the floor, hugging me. Before I knew it, I was living with my mom at my grandparents, about an hour away. Dad stayed close to me for a while, but with job struggles, he eventually went back to his hometown which was four hours away.

And it stayed that way, for a long time. Mom got remarried, had my half brother and sister, and then the guy turned out to be a total dick. He was abusive and a failure, in my personal opinion. He split, which I have to say, I don't miss him a bit. Dad started dating a woman, but they broke up for a while. Her son had died from a freak accident, and in condoling her, they soon got back together and eventually married.

But enought about my backstory. I soon finished my coffee, and after a few more moments just contemplating the silence, I stood up and washed my coffee mug out in the sink. I took off back up the stairs and started my day. I stood in front of my bathroom mirror and brushed my teeth, removing all of those wonderful stains left by the coffee. After that, I moisturized my face and started applying my makeup. I applied a thin layer of base on, swept some eyeshadow on my eylids, and gave a little blush to my cheekbones. I put on some of my favorite legthening mascara, and for the final touch, some tinted chapstick.

I pulled the first drawer out and grabbed my hairbrush and brushed through the tangled mess that I call my hair. Taming it down to my liking, I parted it to the side and sprayed a little hairspray on it. Satisfied with my look, I gently placed the brush back in the drawer and softly closed it. Turning around, I walked to the closet and opened the door up further. I shifted through the clothes and picked out an old pair of comfortable jeans. Nothing felt better than to slide into already worn jeans and feel them sit perfectly on your hips. Since it was only September, the warm weather of the New England coast had started to slip away, and be replaced by the slightly cool breezes. I picked one of my favorite long sleeve shirts, that had a pretty tribal print on the front and embrodiory along the sleeves and hem. I took my nightshirt off and sat it on the edge of the laundry basket. I put my bra on, slowly clipping the four little clips up. I had rather large breasts, which always have been an inconvience for me personally. But hey, I think I rock the granny bra look. I threw the shirt on over my head and adjusted it accordingly.

Leaning down, I grabbed a pair of comfortable slip on shoes, and with that, grabbed ahold of my purse. I checked to make sure I had my phone and new house and car keys, which I clipped to a brightly colored lanyard. Little secret about me... I always lose stuff. Keys, phone, wallet, shoes, you name it. I would probably lose my head if it wasn't attached to my neck. But I was proud of myself. I haven't lost anything in this move... yet. Or at least that I have realized.

I made my way downstairs and turned the doorknob of my front door. I stepped outside to the bright morning sun and locked my door tight. My house came with a little porch, which I absolutely adore. I have always wanted a little home with a front porch to drink my coffee and read a book on. I step down the little steps and on to little sidewalk connecting my house to the driveway. There waiting for me was my little Lumina, which sparkled against the sun's rays. This car was old enough that it didn't come equipped with an automatic door unlocker, so I had to do it the old fashioned way and stick the key inside the door and turn. It unlocked easy enough and I bent down to sit in the seat. Using a second key, I slid the key into the ignition and turned, and the car sprang to life.

Turning my head, I checked both sides of the street for oncoming traffic. It was clear, so I slowly reversed and pulled out into the street. I drove down the street towards the downtown area of Haverstraw. A couple of minutes into the drive, and I was already there. The downtown area had a cute little setup, mostly small businesses. On my side of the street, there was a florist shop, my real estate agent's store, a small bookstore, and a credit union. Further down the street was a grocery store, and it continued like that around the block. Standing in the middle was a courthouse, which very tall compared to the little stores around it. Several large oak trees were planted around it, and taking advantage of the morning's sun and tempature were several gardeners, tending to the grass and flowers planted along the sidewalk. It was a very picturesque, like a old post card.

I drove into the parking lot of the grocery store, a place called Met Food Supermarket. There were only a few cars here, and I would imagine that it was probably the employees who opened the store. I parked my car and made sure to lock it with the door lock. I strolled up to the doors, which slid open for me. Grabbing a basket, I made my way through the aisles, picking up my usual groceries; bread, milk, eggs, juice, and sodas. I picked up more K-Cups, this time in a caramel flavor, and while on the breakfast aisle, I picked out my favorite cereal and oatmeal. I found stuff to make sandwhiches and chose several different cheeses and meats. Making my way to the produce section, I saw that a lot of stuff was on sale, which was probably the best thing I could see this morning. Out of all the goodies, I picked up sweet potatoes, green peppers, carrots, and green beans for my veggies. For fruits, I saw that a lot of summertime fruits were marked down. I picked up several mangos, a bag of grapes, a bag of cherries, and bananas. I splurged a little a got a few of the red apples, and with my goodies safely put away in the basket, I made my way to the meat department. I selected a few packages of ground beef and a found a bag of frozen chicken breasts. Satisfied with my hunt to stock up my kitchen, I made my way to the front of the store for check out.

Along the way, I saw a littel container with a beautiful array of flowers. I stopped to admire the flowers, and saw a beautiful bouquet of roses. They were a deep red, absolutely beautiful. I was picking my favorite bunch out when suddenly my phone started to ring. I placed my roses down and dug out the phone, and saw that it was NYU. I caught my breath out of excitement, and with a huge gulp answered the phone.

"Hello?" I asked.

"Hi there Andrea. It's me, Kathleen Newton, from the Historics department of NYU. I know it is early, I hope I didn't catch you at a bad time?" the voice on the other end spoke.

"Oh, no Mrs. Newton, you didn't catch me at a bad time at all! I'm actually at the supermarket, picking up some groceries. How are you doing this morning?" I said back.

"Just fine, thank you for asking. I wanted to talk to you about your first assignment here at NYU."

"That sounds great! What do you have in mind?" I asked excitedly. I know I probably sounded like an over excited nerd getting a huge homework load, but I really couldn't wait to prove myself to the professors and scholars at NYU. If all goes well with this, I could possibly offered a higer ranking among the staff and have a more permanent stance with the school.

"Well, as you know, we have a very rich culture and history around this area. One project we give our younger students is to come up with a research paper about a historical town here in New York. We are in need of some new material however. Our's are just simply getting to old! We were wondering if you could produce to us a new, updated version of this project, perhaps over Haverstraw? This will give our young pupils something to go off of while typing up their own. Would you be willing to do this for us?" Mrs. Newton explained.

"Absolutely!" I agreed. "It would be an honor to give something back to NYU and to it's students."

"Wonderful then, dear. I'll let the proffessors know of your plans. Can you have this to us within the next month? Our proffessors like to use this as a final, so that should give you plenty of time to submit it in." she asked.

"Yes ma'am, I will have it in as soon as possible." I shivered with excitement. My first big project, and it was basically going to be showcased to classes!

"Alright then, dear. I'll call you in a couple of weeks to see how the work is going. Good luck dear! Find us something good to show!"

"Of course, thanks again!" I hung up and without hesitation, did a little happy dance. Yep, right there in the middle of the store. After wiggling my hips a little bit, I picked up the bunch of roses and set them gently in the basket. I found a few vases next to the display and picked out my favorite one. I made my way through the checkout line and paid with a swipe of my debit card. Making my way out of the store, I didn't notice that I had left my keys at the register. I jumped slighly when I heard a man's voice yell, "Miss! Hey, miss?!'

I turned around and saw a man sprinting towards me, my lanyard bright in his hand. My face burned with embarassment as he got closer. "Oh my god, I am so sorry. I swear, I will lose anything!" I took the keys from him and shoved them back into my purse.

The stranger laughed. "Ah no worries miss. We all do it from time to time." He shrugged, with a grin on his face. "The name is Clay, Clay Sutton." He offered his hand towards me. I took it, out of niceness, and replied, "Andrea Bates, pleased to meet you. Thank you so much for noticing them, I would have got all the way out to my car and would probably start to freak out."

"Again, no worries." Clay smiled. "You must be new around here? I don't recognize your face?" He asked.

I resisted rolling my eyes. What is with everybody noticing that I'm new? Do I really stick out like a sore thumb? "Yes, is it obvious?" I asked.

"Yeah, kind of." he laughed. "This is a small town, you eventually get to know everybody. If you stay for long, you'll fit in no time."

"Oh, well, that's good." I said. "Anyways, thank you so much. I better go, I do have cold stuff to get into the fridge." I pointed down to my pretty full basket. He nodded, and said, "Yeah, okay. But one question?"

"Yes?

"Would you like to catch up, sometime later? Coffee, dinner?" Clay asked. I resisted the urge to sigh. I really just wasn't interested in dating right now. But Clay's face was so hopeful, I couldn't say no. One date couldn't hurt. If it doesn't go well, I don't have to talk to him ever again. "Yeah, sure Clay. I would like that." I agreed.

"Awesome," Clay smiled. "Well, let me give you my number." We exchanged numbers, and finally, Clay turned around a left, towards the store's door. I briskly walked to my car, and opened the trunk. I carefully laid each bag in, storing the roses right on top. I closed the trunk lid and unlocked my door. Starting the car, I figured I would stop in the little book store on my way back home. Maybe they would have some information about this town? With my excitement building up, I figured it would be the best idea to hop on my project now, full of motivation. I drove the short distance down the street and parked in front of the little store. Climbing out of my car, I grabbed ahold of my purse and prepared to walk in.

I pushed open the door and a small "ding!" went off somewhere deep in the books. There was nobody at the front desk, and I started to admire the books neatly stacked within the shelves. A small voice rose above the piles of books and said, "Yes? Can I help you?" An older lady appeared around the corner and smiled.

"Yes, actually. I'm new to town, and I'm doing a research paper about Haverstraw. I was wondering if you sold any books about the town, or the area in general? I would absolutely love to buy one from you." I explained.

"Yes, I do have a couple that could interest you." She said. I noticed her name tag said "Sarah", and I couldn't help but to smile. "Your name is Sarah? That's funny, the lady who owned my house before me was named Sarah. Sarah.."

"Williams? Sarah Williams?" she interrupted.

"Yes...?" I said with a confused look on my face. "How did you know..?"

"Because I AM Sarah Williams, dear." She smiled. "And I know you live in my old house. Now, about those books?"


	3. Sarah's Bookstore

Chapter three

"Mrs... Williams? I.. umm wow, I don't know what to say." I stammered. What do you say to the woman who use to own your house? _"Oh, hi there Sarah! By the way, there's a scratch on the floor in the dining room, mind getting that out?"_

"You don't have to say anything at all. I hope you enjoy the house. Lots of memories are stored in those wooden panels." she smiled a gentle little smile.

"Umm yes, I absolutely love the house. It fits my needs very well."

"Good, good..." she said. "Now, what kind of books are you looking for? I have different books here about different time periods within this town." Mrs. Williams shuffled the thick books laying on her desk. After neatly stacking them to her content, she turned to face me.

"Well, I'm not sure. I'm creating a research paper for the students of New York University, so they can make one for their final papers this semester. So nothing too difficult, just to get them started." I explained.

"Well, some of the most well known history of this little town is it's involvment of the American Revolutionary War. It was a crucial lookout point to monitor the British's activities on the Hudson River."

"Wow, that's amazing. I would consider myself a pretty big geek when it comes to the Revolutionary Period. It's one of my favorite portion of history." I said. "I could easily write a paper about the founding of the town, and possibly include it's involvment in the war. Do you have something I could use for that?"

Mrs. Williams nodded. "Of course dear!" She motioned towards the back of the store. "Everything you will need will be back there. You might find something else to your liking."

With a nod, I said, "Thank you so much!" I strolled towards the back of the store, and saw a little sign with the words "History" scrawled on. It was a small section, but with plenty of books. Searching up and down the shelves, I found a small corner of books with various titles about Haverstraw written on the front cover. I knelt down to my knees and carefully examined each book, until I found one that talked mostly of the beginnings of my new little home. I stood up, my hand bracing against the wall, and stared down at the book. I flipped the pages, making sure it had enough content that I needed.

I found that I had liked this book, so clutching it to my chest like it was a small infant, I carried it to the front desk, where Mrs. Williams was going through her books. She looked up at me and smiled, her glasses hanging low off her face. "You find a book that you liked dear?" she asked.

"Oh yes, I think it will help so much." I sat the book down in front of her, and pulled my purse towards the front of me. "To be honest, I'm really nervous about this paper. It is the first assignment I have recieved at my new job, and I want to impress them." I sheepishly grinned.

"I'm sure you will do lovely my dear." Mrs. Williams said. She reached out for the book and scanned the bar code, ringing up a total of $11.99. "Here we go, all ready for you." She took a small plastic bag out from under the table and shook it out. "Do you read anything other than history? You seem like such a smart girl, surely there is something else that interests you?" she asked.

"I actually love to read, Mrs. Williams. Most in the fantasy genre, like the Harry Potter books. I love books about mythical creatures as well, like faries, dragons, vampires, and anything to do with magic."

Mrs. Williams glanced up at me, her bright green eyes hovering just above the frame of her glasses. "Magic and mythical creatures, huh? Well dear, I have many books in that genre. You might be interested in. Here, take this one for example." She pulled out a drawer from her table and pressed a small red book in my hands. It was old and dusty, and from the looks of the torn binding, very frail. On the front cover, the word, _"Labyrinth"_ was wrote with an old fashioned calligraphy in gold ink. I curiously opened the cover, but found no summary or reviews or anything, just an almost blank page, with only the word _"Labyrinth"_ written again. Confused, I turned the next page and found that it started with chapter one. It described a fantasy world of goblins and castles, and a king with a cruel passion to teach lessons.

"Umm, it looks interesting." I started with. It wasn't typically the kind of book that I read, but it did have a kind of appeal that made you want to keep reading. "How old is this book?" I asked.

"Its quite old. I acquired it when I was a little girl, back in the late seventies. Back then, I had bought it off from the local librarian, who said it was dontated by an anonymous source. She said it had collected dust on the shelf for the longest time, so she sold it to me for five dollars. I thought I had scored a deal." she laughed quietly.

"Well, was it a good book? Did you enjoy it?" I asked, still turning the pages.

"Let's just say.. it took you on quite an adventure." she answered, looking down at her stack of books. "I've been with that book for to long. I read it over and over and over, but after the last time... I just couldn't bring myself to read it again. It's time I passed it on to somebody else." She looked up at me with sad eyes, I before I could question why, the door opened suddenly, the little "ding!" causing me to jump slightly. A couple of girls walked in, each taking the liberty to walk amoung the books themselves, talking quietly to themselves. In that moment, it felt like the small bubble of intesity was popped and we were thrust back in reality.

"It sounds like a great book, I'll take it then." I opened my wallet and prepared to hand her cash. "How much for the two books?" I asked.

She shook her head and slid both books into the bag. "Don't worry dear, free of charge. I can't charge such a wonderful girl as yourself, for the passion of teaching our next generation to become better writers. You just enjoy the books." She handed me the bag.

"Thank you, Mrs. Williams, that's incredibly generous of you." I accepted the bag and slid my wallet back inside my purse, letting it fall back down to my hip.

"Call me Sarah, dear. You make me feel old with that "Mrs. Williams" nonsense." Sarah winked at me. I chuckled and said, "Okay... Sarah. Thank you."

"Anytime dear." she smiled.

I exited the bookstore, and walked over to my car, using my key to unlock the door. Sliding in, I tossed my purse and bag into the passenger seat. My mind full of thoughts, I drove home.


	4. The Little Red Book

Chapter Four:

It had been about a week before I looked down at that little red book Sarah gave to me. With these new sources of information about the town's history in my possession, my motivation for writing this paper was on an all time high. My day basically consisted of: waking up, drinking at least two cups of coffee, sitting down at my kitchen table and reading. Lunch would roll around, I would make a small meal for myself, and then afterwards, open my laptop to start typing my thesis. A few hours of that, and then I would usually get up and stretch my legs. Sometimes, if the weather was just right, I would drag my chair out to the front porch and watch my street. I didn't usually have much traffic, until around the afternoon time. Adults would be coming home from work, and buses would drop kids off at the corner. After a while, I would start to recognize the strangers, and sometimes I would strike up a conversation with them. I got to know my neighbor Mrs. Wallis, a older woman who liked to garden and had a fluffy ginger colored cat. There was Amanda, a preppy college student who jogged around the neighborhood everyday around six o'clock. And old Bill, across the street. He didn't say much, and usually only came outside to check his mail. But one day, his trash can blew over in the wind and I chased after it. He thanked me over and over again, and since then, always either said hi or give a cheerful wave to me.

After a week of this pattern, I eventually decided to give my thesis a rest and take a little me time. NYU sent out a check every two weeks, but starting pay wasn't the greatest. I would stay home, talk to my family every now and then. I gave Mrs. Newton a call and told her my thesis was coming along great, to which she seemed satisfied. She would tell me the professors and students were looking forward to what I had to present. After a bit, she came up with an idea to present it to the professors myself, and if it was approved, to the students in their class time. The thought alone gave me butterflies, but I happily agreed.

Clay didn't forget about me. He called almost the next day from our first meet, but I told him I would have to take a rain check on him. I explained that I wanted to work on my thesis, and he dutifully agreed. I was now pushing a week, and his patience seem to be wearing thin. We agreed to meet at a coffee shop, near where the grocery store was. By now, I was slowly learning my way around Haverstraw, so with my purse and keys in tow, I climbed in my car to meet him.

We met at a little shop called "Rosie's Coffee Shop", which served breakfast and lunch. I climbed out of the car and observed the little building. It was a homey little spot, an apparent "mom and pop" store. It had a ramp leading up to the door, and pretty little flowers in pots along the sidewalk. A little neon sign hung in the window that flashed "O-P-E-N" in bright red. I locked my car and walked up the ramp, and pushed the door open. I was greeted by a warm environment and the smell of bacon, pancakes, french fries, and burgers. A coffee machine sat on the counter and was steadily pouring coffee out of it's spout, and there was a low, dull roar of customer's chitchatting and utensil's clattering. A plump woman looked up from writing her ticket and called out, "Welcome doll, take any seat you would like. I'll be with ya in one moment."

I looked up and down the busy row of tables and booths, and saw a table in the far corner was open. I made my way through the sprawling legs and high chairs and waitresses and finally nestled down in my seat. It must have been good place to eat, there wasn't another seat open in the place. I was alone for just a few minutes when the waitress that greeted me stepped up to my table. "Morning doll, welcome to Rosie's. I'll be your waitress, my name is Fran. Can I start you up with something to drink?" She handed me a worn out menu, and I quickly glanced over it. "Um let's just start with a coffee. I haven't fed my addiction yet." I laughed.

"Sounds good doll. Would you like any creamer, milk, sugar?" she asked.

"I'll take sugar and some milk, please." I answered. She wrote it down on her pad and said, "Okay sweetie, I'll bring it out to you. We let our customers fix it up the way they like." I nodded and said, "Thank you," and she turned on her heel and headed over to the counter.

I glanced around the restaurant, and decided it was a little to noisy for me. I pulled my purse up and sat it down in the seat next to me and pulled out the little "Labyrinth" book. I thought to myself that if this little "date" went terribly wrong, which it probably will, I could at least entertain myself with a good book. I opened it to chapter one, which was called "The White Owl."

 _"Nobody saw the owl, white in the moonlight, black against the stars, nobody heard him as he glided over on silent wings of velvet. The owl saw and heard everything._

 _He settled in a tree, his claws hooked on a branch, and he stared at the girl in the glade below. The wind moaned, rocking the branch, scudding low clouds across the evening sky. It lifted the hair of the girl. The owl was watching her, with his round dark eyes._

 _The girl moved slowly from the trees toward the middle of the glade, where a pool glimmered. She was concentrating. Each deliberate step took her nearer to her purpose. Her hands were open, and held slightly in front of her. The wind sighed again in the trees. It blew her cloak tightly around her slender figure, and rustled her hair around her wide-eyed face. Her lips were parted._

 _"Give me the child," Sarah said, in a voice that was low, but firm with the courage her guest needed. She halted, her hands still held out. "Give me the child," she repeated. "Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City, to take back the child you have stolen." She bit her lip and continued, "For my will is as strong as yours... and my kingdom as great..."_

 _She closed her eyes tightly. Thunder rumbled. The owl blinked, once._

 _"My will as strong as yours." Sarah spoke with even more intensity now. "And my kingdom as great..." She frowned, and her shoulders dropped._

 _"Oh damn.." she muttered._

A slight tap against my shoulder startled me from my trance of reading. Looking up, I saw Clay standing over me, with an eyebrow raised and smirk on his face. "I'm sorry for disrupting you, but I believe we have a date?"

I resisted the urge to sigh. "Um yeah, hi Clay. Sorry about that, I got here a little early and was just waiting for you." I smiled a hard smile and nodded to the chair across from me. "You gonna sit down?" I teased.

Clay shrugged his out of his jacket, and laid it on the back of the chair. He sat down with ease and smiled. "I hope I didn't keep you waiting long?" he asked.

I shook my head. Leaning down, I slid my book back in my purse and smiled again. "Oh no, just a few minutes. Our waitress came by our table with my coffee, a small pitcher of milk, and a little bowl of sugar. "Clay, surgah, I didn't expect you here today. How ya doin boy?" Fran sat my stuff down on the table and leaned in for a hug from Clay.

"Hiya Fran, I'm doing good. I had a date with this lovely lady here, I figured we should go to one of the town's favorites. This is Andrea, she's new here." he pointed towards me.

"I knew you must have been new. If you have been around as long as I have in this place, you recognize just about everybody. I figured you were just passing through." She smiled.

"Oh well, no ma'am. I moved here a little over a week ago." I explained.

"Where ya from honey?" She asked.

"Texas actually. Long way from home," I laughed a little.

"Sure is! What are you all the way up here for? Work, family?"

"Work. I have been recently hired at NYU as a historian. Right now, I'm working with the professors and providing some content for their students. I am writing a research paper for the students to learn from, so they can make their own for their finals." I said, feeling a little self conscious about explaining this to a complete stranger. But Clay had a huge smile on his face, so it made me figure that it was okay to trust Fran.

"Well, that sounds mighty interesting. And lots of work! I thought it was exhausting working at this place." she chuckled. "Well, I'll leave you two be. Clay, you want some coffee dear?" she asked.

"Yes ma'ma, you know how I like it." Clay answered, smiling. Fran nodded and tottered away, and Clay turned his attention back to me. "Well I guess now Fran knows you. Even if you don't know her, you'll be one of her favorites now."

"She seems sweet," I said. "You must know her very well? She seemed very fond of you." I pointed out. Clay nodded. "Yeah, she's been in my life for a long time. Almost like a grandmother to me..." he trailed off.

I could sense something was a little off, so I took my spoon and stirred my sugar and milk in my coffee slowly. "I'm sorry, if that is a touchy subject...?" I started off saying.

"Oh no, you are fine. My parents aren't really a big part of my life. When I was sixteen, I moved out of my parent's house and stayed with a friend to finish high school. Fran help me get a job here until I could go to college. She was a real sweetie to me back in the day." he explained.

"Aww, that's sweet," I commented. I sat my spoon down on the little saucer and carefully picked up my coffee and sipped on it. Perfection.

"Yeah, I have a lot to thank her for. Anyways, how's your paper coming along? You've been busy for a bit with it!" he asked. I nodded and sat my coffee down gently. "It's been going great. I sent the thesis over and they reviewed what I have so far and they love it. Another week to finish it out, and then another week to proofread and review it, and I should be able to send it in. My boss actually called me the other day, and I get to present it myself." I said proudly.

"That's awesome!" Clay exclaimed.

After about an hour had past, and Clay got his coffee, we chatted about random things. Clay was full of questions, stuff about my hometown and family, how I liked it here, if I planned to stay in Haverstraw. I was honest and said I wasn't sure. I planned to have my family visit me around Christmas, and I planned a trip down there during the summer vacation, but other than that, I wasn't sure about how the rest was going to go. This job will provide me with opportunities, and if one comes up, I might not pass it up. Clay didn't seem to like the idea of me leaving in the future, but he didn't question that anymore and moved on. We sat there for a long time, and we ended up eating lunch there. Fran brought me a chicken cobb salad and Clay got a huge bacon cheeseburger. We finished up around 1:45 and paid the check. We left a nice tip for Fran and he walked me out to my car.

"Well, I had a nice time with you, Andrea. I'm glad you got some time out of the house." He said. I dug around in my purse for my key, and I said back, "I had fun to Clay. Thank you, I did need a break from my computer." Finally finding my key, I turned it into the lock and heard the familiar sound of the door unlocking. I opened it slightly and leaned into the car.

"Maybe we can meet up again soon?" he asked, hope in his eyes. I mashed my lips together, and in a defeated way said, "Yeah, maybe. Well, bye Clay." I sat down quickly in my car and pulled the door closed. I smiled and waved, hoping to not look to much like a bitch. Clay had a strange look on his face, and he finally waved and turned around, walking down the path to his car. I sighed. I was hoping that he would strike me interesting, but in the three and a half hours we talked, he proved to be as boring as a dictionary. There was nothing wrong with him per-say, but he didn't have that.. spark.

I drove home, and passed Sarah's bookstore. I could see her through the windows, laughing with another customer. Funny, I just realized that the book shared the same name as her. I came upon my house and pulled into the driveway. Grabbing a hold of my things, I climbed out of my car and saw Nancy outside her house, squatting down next to her flowerbed. She looked over and saw me, and waved. I waved back and called out, "Good afternoon Mrs. Wallis!"

"Good afternoon to you to, sweetie. How's your day been?" She asked. She sat up, brushed the dirt off her hands on an old dish rag, and came over to the fence that separated our yards. She was a pretty lady, with rosy wrinkled cheeks and a poof of silver hair sticking out from her flowey hat. She always had a smile on her face, and usually an apron around her waist that had dirt smudged on it.

"I've had an alright day, just got back from a date." I grimaced.

"A date, ohhh, that sounds fun!" she smiled. "Why the long face though?"

"To be honest, he's as interesting a door knob. I just can't like him enough to keep dating him. But he seems to have a lot more interest in me than I do of him." I sighed.

"Well, if it's meant to be, it will find a way. If not, then it will solve itself." She advised. "And if it doesn't work out, you can always send him over to my place! I'll bake a pie, just for him!" She giggled, with a twinkle in her eye.

I burst into laughter. "Mrs. Wallis, you are terrible! But I'll remember that!"

We both laughed for a minute longer until Mrs. Wallis had to dab the corner of her eyes. We composed ourselves and she said, "Well dear, I better go back inside and start dinner. You have a good evening."

"Thanks Mrs. Wallis, you too." I smiled. I walked up the steps of my porch and couldn't help but to think on how funny it was that out of all the people I got along with the most, it was my elderly neighbor.

I unlocked my front door and set my stuff down on the kitchen table. I flopped down on my couch and propped up my feet on the throw pillow. Unlike Mrs. Wallis, it was to early for me to eat dinner. I laid my head back and closed me eyes, thinking about what I could do to pass the time. I must have laid there for to long, because before I knew it, I was dreaming.

I wasn't sure where I was at, but it felt like a park, because there was a huge pond with a fountain spraying up towards the sky right in the middle of it. There were big open grassy fields and beautiful spring flowers blooming and tall willows and oaks towering above me. I walked down the trail, unsure where I was going. Nobody else was there, and the park gave off an almost desolate feel to it.

Thunder rumbled above me, but the dark clouds were staying out of the way, dark and ominous. In front of her, a huge trunk protrude from the ground, and I could see something red laying on top of it. I increased my pace towards it and found that it was my book, the Labyrinth. Curiously, I flipped through the pages, and saw that nothing had changed. I opened it to chapter one, and read through the paragraphs. All was the same except... the name.. it was different? It was no longer Sarah, but it was Andrea. Every time Sarah's name was mentioned, it was replaced with Andrea. _"But that makes no sense?"_ I thought to myself.

Suddenly, a swooshing noise flew right down next to her ear. Terrified, I dropped the book to the ground and threw my hands up in defense. A huge white owl hovered in front of me, it's talons raised and it's huge dark eyes staring intently at me. It hovered for a moment more before it swept away, and my eyes snapped open.

I was sweaty and out of breathe, and I glanced wildly around my house. The sun had start to go down, and the shadows were creeping up into my windows. I grabbed my phone from my purse and saw that it was about 5:30.

 _"Wow, what a weird rush. Almost a three hour nap? I wasn't even tired?"_ I thought. Shaking my head, I walked to my kitchen and pulled out a coffee mug. Not bothering with the Keurig, I turned my sink on and let the faucet dispense ice cold water into it. I sipped on it gingerly, trying to recover from such a weird dream. I turned to lean against the counter and saw the red cover of the book, laying openly on my kitchen table. I cocked my head to the side, because I didn't remember pulling the book out before I laid down on the couch. I tiptoed to it, and looked down, it was opened to the direct spot that I had left off from this morning. _"How fucking weird is that?"_ I thought.

I shut the book and left it laying on the table. Turning around, I made for the kitchen and began rooting through the fridge, searching for something to eat. I was still a little shaken from the dream, so I opted for something lighter. I pulled out some of my veggies from the crisper drawer and sat them on the counter tops. Bending over, I pulled my skillet pan out and sat it on the front burner. I stood on my tiptoes and opened the cabinet above the stove and grabbed the vegetable oil and pour a drizzled in the pan. Turn the heat up, I let it warm up and chopped up some bell peppers and spinach leaves and dumped them into the pan. I then opened my freezer door and pulled out some frozen fajita chicken and pulled apart a few and dropped it in with the veggies. I used a wooden spoon to stir it around, until it was nice and steamy.

I turned the stove off and pulled out a plate from one of the cabinets. Opening the tortillas from their plastic wrapper, I took two out and tied it back with the twisty tie. I arranged my wraps and took my dinner and water to the kitchen table. I sat down and picked up one of my wraps and slowly ate, staring at the book. Curiosity got to the best of me and I opened to my spot I left off and continued to read on.

 _"Reaching under her cloak, she brought out the book. Its title was The Labyrinth. Holding the book up before her, she read aloud from it. In the fading light, it was not easy to make out the words. "You have no power over me..."_

 _She got no further. Another clap of thunder, nearer this time, made her jump. It also alarmed a big, shaggy sheepdog, who had not minded sitting by the pool and being admonished by Sarah, but who now decided that it was time to go home, and said so with several sharp barks._

 _Sarah held her cloak around her. It did not give her much warmth, being no more than an old curtain, cut down, and fastened at the neck by a glass brooch. She ignored Merlin, the sheepdog, while concentrating on learning the speech in the book. "You have no power over me," she whispered. She closed her eyes again and repeated the phrase several times._

 _A clock above the little pavilion in the park chimed seven times and penetrated Sarah's concentration. She stared at Merlin. "Oh no, " she said. "I don't believe it. That was seven, wasn't it?"_

 _Merlin stood up and shook himself, sensing that some more interesting action was due. Sarah turned and ran. Merlin followed. The thunder clouds splattered them both with large drops of rain._

 _The owl watched it all. When Sarah and Merlin left the park, he still sat still on his branch, in no hurry to follow them. This was his time of the day. He knew what he wanted. An owl is born with all his questions answered."_

I sat the book down, and couldn't help but to wonder if this was the same owl that was in my dream. I know dreams are often formed from your mind's thoughts, but could I really be dreaming about a book I just started to read? It was just to weird... I closed the book and continued eating, lost in my thoughts, my eyes stranding to the kitchen's window and the setting of the sun.


End file.
